Photo du Jour 516
Welcome Back! Um, Why Are You at Work Today?
Tiger Woods In "Serious" Condition After Car Crash
-thumb-110x110-461569.jpg)
Photos from Black Friday
Builder of Oakland's Fox Theater Once Imprisoned For 'White Slavery'
Shot near the Ferry Building during a non-critical mass afternoon, we're not sure who we hate more: the cyclist, the (alleged) motorist, the onlookers egging the whole thing on? Let's just call it a draw.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebookTips
Contribute
Latest Tip:
New Years Eve is coming up quick. Check out SFNewYEars.com for information on all the parties in SF.
[more]
I can hate both, right?
Yay. More fuel for the cyclists vs. drivers crap. A useless video with no background on what happened or what's going on.
Lame post.
Brock- can you give us any context to this video?
I see a bike on the ground IN A BIKE LANE near a several thousand pound vehicle. What assumptions have you made about the events prior to the camera rolling?
SanFranCitizen, you're a shill for critical mass and trustifarians of the bay area. of course you think it's lame.
WTF? A little context would be great. I bike and I think any bicyclist who gets in a fight with a motorist out of anger--anyone who fights out of anger and not out of self-defense, is making a huge, potentially fatal mistake. This clip has really pissed me off. If you're curious as to why I think this way, check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Gong
context? hahaha. it's a video of people getting into a fistfight. there's your context.
really, it's not necessary to do a pointless close-reading anytime a bike is involved.
Seems some folks forgot they're no longer in junior high school.
Brock, of course a close-reading is necessary. Because if we can at all decipher an implication to the driver's fault, which is inevitable no matter the circumstances, it's time well spent. No?
I like that it has Current TV cred.
As good as Bum Fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKh2RG0NaG0
Stop White on White Crime!
"I like that it has Current TV cred."
word. current has gotten so much better over the past year. highly recommend.
No Brock, actually you are wrong. Context is everything in this video. Ever had a car nearly brush you in a crosswalk? Ever had a pedestrian run in front of you in the middle of a block while driving? Both situations could lead to a heated confrontation.
Does it matter what precipitates the confrontation? Yes. This post is beyond lame. The title of the video does say "When cars and bikes share more than the road". So yes, it is about bikes and cars. And there is a very literal power imbalance in any confrontation between a 20 pound human powered bicycle and a several thousand pound vehicle. Both of which supposedly have equal rights to the road.
The title of the video implies a cyclist vs car driver theme. And it's what you are propagating by posting with no additional context.
Grow up and think about something other than just upping your page view counts. Or do you want to unapologetically admit that's what you are doing?
If you want to make a commentary about pointless street fighting, don't frame it as a bikes versus cars confrontation.
Heh. When Privileged SFist Editors Attack!
I don't see what's so wrong with a good round of fisticuffs now and then.
nothing worse than a dude fighting with a bike helmet on. Looks like a retard. Im all for riding bikes, but most cyclists are just as clueless as SUV drivers.
what - you are exactly right. in fact, I believe it is what this great country was founded upon.
KICKING ASS!
Context? Yeah right. What's the fun in knowing what exactly happened? This blog is built on speculation and conjecture! So get to it fellow readers.
I think its a funny video.
What drives(haha) cyclists to fight a driver?
They weren't fighting over a parking spot.
There is your context.
Keep up the good work Brock!
MHTH, by your description of the power imbalance (due to weight ratio, of all things) you give away your bias in favor of cyclists - just a tad disingenuous - and an indication you're seeking to find fault with the automobile.
As this video shows, both car and bike operator are equally capable of being utter idiots. Yeah, more context could be helpful but it's not necessary and certainly not worth name-calling and online ranting.
Perhaps the reason you're so reactive is that you are one of the fighters in the video?
totally. also, because some sort of magical context warrants a fistfight in the street? yeah, no. while it's thoroughly enjoyable, it's wrong. no matter what your liberal arts professors told you.
Judging from my own experience riding on the EMbarcadero, the SUV likely got too close and scared/pissed the bike rider off.
I've had it happen countless times. Always with some asshole driving a giant vehicle and always completely unconcerned that he almost mowed someone down.
I haven't fought anyone over it because seriously, what 200 pound chucklehead from the suburbs is going to get out of his mammoth machine and punch out a small woman with a big, nasty, angry mouth? They're stupid. They aren't that stupid. Generally.
Hmmm, a douchebag in an SUV and a douchebag on a bike. In a duchebag v. douchebag fight, we are all winners.
Here is a fun article touching on two of SFist's favorite themes.
1. Bikes v. Cars
2. Portland, Oregon
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1215660313233830.xml&coll=7
Too bad there is no video.
wow tough bikers and drivers, getting into fights, and more bikers getting off on it, and so many smug comments on blogs!
where were the cops when this happened to give all involved a nice dose of reality, and make everyone realize that acting like a douchebag in traffic is just asking for trouble.
Bikers 0, Drivers 0, SF 0. Epic FAIL, kiddies.
Watching this video took valuable time away from looking at the American Apparel girls.
I hate hearing shrill female cyclist voices egging on violence in every one of these encounters that make it to video. Bitches need to shut it.
totally. like women who fuel gang rapes (if Touch of Evil is correct, that is) or freak each other on dancefloors.
Let me guess, the passenger in the car sees people on bikes and yells "get off the road" or something. One of cyclists then says "fuck off" or something. The passenger they says "what did you say, you bitch-ass motherfucker?" or something. The cyclist then swats the sideview mirror or something and says "I said fuck you, asshole" ...or something. The car lurches to a halt and the passenger and the cyclist get into a scuffle.
It doesn't take much to have things escalate into violence. Could all be avoided with common road courtesy, of course.
not sure. but the word "bro" was thrown around a lot.
Watching this video took valuable time away from looking at the American Apparel girls.
- yes
the funny part of this video is how all the decked out, helmeted bikers are standing around ON THE SIDEWALK...and as pointed out, it's not like they're waiting around to start up a critical mass ride...they're just doing what bad bikers (read: lol- privileged "whities"- regardless of skin color though really) generally do in this city...
i'm sure the car people are just as douchey...i mean look at the vehicle for chrissake...
on another note, i can't wait until the term "white" doesn't refer to skin color or ethnicity but to lameness and cluelessness, etc. and maybe the n word could become an acceptable antonym, equally free of color connotations. you know, the way white people try to use it. =D
Thats why I hold to the rule: run the kook over .... another brilliant ode to the freaks who think the SF roads are theirs!
Ride on the sidewalk you idiots
I know little about teh context here, but I do want to say that drivers in SF almost always assume the biker is in the wrong, because there's so little knowledge of the law. If I'm doing everything legally, drivers get pissed that I'm slow or that I'm on the road at all. If I do things that are illegal but keep me safer or ease the flow of traffic, drivers get pissed that I'm an entitled biker asshole.
A crazy dude in a Prius (SAN FRANCISCO DOES IRONY SO WELL) just blasted me because I was taking up the lane because the right lane was blocked. He would have been able to safely pass me in about 20 feet, when I would have moved back over, but it was killing him so much he had to pass across the double line and yell, "YOU'RE SO FUCKING STUPID, YOU WANNA GET YOURSELF KILLED, GO TELL YOUR KIDS YOU'RE GONNA DIE." Of course I yelled back--I ain't Gandhi-- but it's unsafe for bikers AND drivers to provoke cyclists,
Thanks for making my point, spysea. It's illegal to ride on sidewalks. Bikes are vehicles that are required to be operated in the road.
the protestants and catholics of our time, folks.
It's not illegal to ride a bike on some sidewalks. Like the one shown in the vid, for example.
Behave children. There are people with guns out there. Cyclist/driver, who cares? They are not me so neither of them belongs on the road.
i guess that makes me a jew.
OK, I was on this ride and will make it very clear what happened. As our group of about 23 riders headed up the Embarcadero, the passenger of the SUV opened their door in front of a group of riders in the bike lane while the car was still in motion. As the car came to a stop, one of our riders approached the car and said "that really isn't cool." The passenger said something to the effect of "get your hands off our car" and proceeded to open the door and physically confront the bicyclist. As you can see from the video, the bicyclist responded. As for onlookers egging him on? Quite the opposite. Most encouraged the passenger to get back into his friend's SUV and for the bicyclist to get back on the ride. Most of our riders got out of the bike lane and onto the sidewalk to not block traffic further while this was all happening. That's it.
@yesyes yesyes, yep. as much as cyclists cap on drivers for being clueless, they're just as rude, clueless and dangerous to pedestrians. Cyclists are just pissed because they're the middle child. =0)
I've never thought of this added advantage of wearing a bike helmet. I think this title would be more fitting on a video of a fight outside of a bar in the Marina on any given friday night.
"Dude, when you got out of your MBA program, your golf swing totally sucked."
"What did you say?"
"You heard me bro"
Fizzandpop's reminder is what scares me. I always have the little fear in the back of my mind that some ass is going to pull out a shotgun a la the hicks in Easy Rider and just blast me.
That fear unfortunately does not keep my mouth shut.
"the passenger of the SUV opened their door in front of a group of riders in the bike lane while the car was still in motion. "
They opened the door like they were getting out of the car, or they opened the door like they wanted to door some cyclists?
I was one of those riders going out for a weekly ride. The driver was swerving 'pretending' that he was going to hit one of the riders. Then the passenger was opening and closing his door into the bike lane and then finally did knock him off his bike. Yes, the bicyclist lost it but so then would I if that had happened to me. I have almost been doored many times and just choose to educate the person rather than to clobber them. This, on the other hand, was done with maliciousness on the side of the driver and passenger. They were looking for a fight and out to hurt someone with their antics. After one scuffle, we went to leave and the guy kept on going after the cyclist physically and yelling out insults all the while grabbing his bottle as if he was going to swing with it. The whole situation was f**ckd up. We just wanted to have a ride on a beautiful day not get in a brawl our first 5 minutes out.
In light of recent events, like the father and his sons getting killed because of road rage, I've noticed I've become a lot calmer when I'm driving or walking around town. Though I still yell at MUNI drivers regardless because they get on my nerves.
Way to ruin our speculation and conjecture vsgoliath and letigre ! Then again, thanks for the clarification.
yesyes - I think I saw that! Was it on Folsom street this afternoon? I was getting ready to go all SFist on his ass if he got out of his car.
No, it was yesterday around 715 on the Embarcadero going towards Fisherman's Wharf.
@ bottombracket
It doesn't matter whether they were getting out or trying to intentionally door a biker -- it's illegal for cars or cabs to discharge passengers in a bike lane.
Again, excluding designated, marked bikepaths, it is illegal to cycle on sidewalks in San Francisco. One of these days I am going to deliver a mighty Koko B Ware clothesline to a sidewalk cyclist.
Just slash a couple of the dolt's tires and get on with your ride.
"It doesn't matter whether they were getting out or trying to intentionally door a biker -- it's illegal for cars or cabs to discharge passengers in a bike lane."
Agree, but that's not why I asked. I was wondering how things heated up into a scrap.
Because they had nothing better to do?
sexual tension. duh.
Any post involving bikes in SF is guaranteed to generate maximum comments. Well done, Brock.
@SanFranCitizen: Yes! It was! That dude was really really nasty, and I didn't even do anything to deserve it.
And lo and behold, a banner appears at the top of the thread that reads: Meet Local Cyclists - fitness.singles.com.
Brock is a media genius. Or I was behaviorly targetted by a fiendish piece of Google technology because I constantly troll loose trollops in bars and drug stores.
The irony! The technology! The peasants will have to stop fighting in the streets now.
Oh, it's gone now
When I ride, I hate the drivers who fail to give bikes room and the legitimate right of way. When I drive, I hate the bicyclists who run a stop sign and then flip me off when I get in the path.
What we need are signs that read: "Sorry, I screwed up and you had the right of way" and make versions for those in the car and those on bike. We could all go a long way if we just said: I'm sorry and are you OK?"
MHTH: easy, it's probably the fault of the bicycle.
Racist.
Sure Zippy. Did you happen to read all the comments before you posted? Allow me to courteously call attention to two previous posts.
vsgoliath
letigre
This video is worthless and boring. Must have been a slow news day.
What's with that remark Chris Weekly?
This has nothing to do with "bikes vs. cars." It's clearly a case of dickwad vs. dickwad.
The mode of transit is irrelevant.